Booking Travel
30 Dec 2010 Leave a Comment
in cruising, travel agents Tags: cruiselines, online booking, travel agents, travel incentives
When you have decided on a type and destination for your next vacation, one of the questions you might ask yourself is, “How am I going to get this booked?” As a somewhat seasoned traveller, I tend to lean on the side of getting it booked myself online. However, I have on occasion booked directly with the cruiseline, hotel, or resort for various reasons.
One thing to consider when looking to book a trip is how much control you want to have over your reservation and making changes to it. If you book a cruise with some of the more popular lines, going through their website directly will usually give you the most control of your reservation. Once booked you are able to order any excursions you may be interested in weeks ahead of time without ever having to pick up the phone and talk to customer service after spending five minutes navigating the automated menu. This gives you an advantage to ensuring a spot on a popular excursion that may be limited on the number of passengers that can be booked. You can also get your spa and specialty restaurant reservations booked ensuring you get the time that you desire. One more advantage would be in ordering wine packages or special baskets or trays for an anniversary or birthday so you can have a surprise waiting in the cabin your first day for your loved one. If you book directly with a hotel or resort, sometimes you can negotiate your price, the location of your room, and any add-ons or excursions to your package.
Sometimes you may find a great deal that is only available through the web. In this case, in order to get a great, money-saving deal you have to be okay with booking your travel online. However, often times there is a customer service number that can answer any questions you may have if you don’t feel comfortable with what you are doing. Generally, it is a pretty straight-forward process. Just remember to always read the fine print and print out your reservation to have a hard copy to take with you on your trip. When booking a hotel room on sites like Expedia or Travelocity, it can be particularly important to pay attention to the fine print. Usually the initial price they offer is a nonrefundable price so unless you are absolutely sure you will not need to cancel, make sure you are choosing the price that allows you a refund for cancellation. There is sometimes a cancellation fee on resort packages and cruises as well, so pay attention.
Booking with an online travel company sometimes has its advantages as well. Usually they offer a weekly email deal alert that will keep you informed of all the latest deals they can offer, and because travel is their business, they can usually find some pretty good deals. Because of the stricter regulations that the cruise industry has implemented on travel agents, you will most likely not find a better price through an agent than what the cruiseline is offering. However, they are able to offer incentives to sweetened the deal if you book with them. Many times agents will offer deals like onboard credit or prepaid gratuities for booking with them. depending on the type of cabin you book and length of your cruise, I have seen upwards of $200 offered. I have also seen spa and wine packages offered as incentives. They will also keep an eye on the prices so if there is a drop they will get you the better price. If there are any changes to your itinerary or problems with the resort or cruise line, you will be informed by your agent so that other arrangements can be made if necessary. This frees you up from having to always keep your eye out for this information. With the competition of online booking, travel agents are having to get more and more inventive to get business and keep it.
Booking your own travel can sometimes be intimidating and confusing, but with a little research and common sense it can become very easy. I am always willing to answer any questions, and if I don’t know the answer, I will do my best to figure it out. Now get travelling!!
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